Timeless
by r2roswell
Summary: Takes place during Season 5. Emma has become the Dark One and there is only one person who can save her, the very person that she and all of Storybrooke believed was dead.
1. Prologue

**Timeless by Kate Havnevik**

 _Love is a cure_

 _A promise_

 _Still so pure_

 _Rides like the tide_

 _No need to hide it_

 _Fearless_

 _Just like before_

 _Oh, here we go_

 _They're all waiting for a cure_

 _Breathe in_

 _And let go_

 _I have seen_

 _How you crawl_

 _Let go and hover_

 _Still changing colors_

 _But nothing_

 _Can break this call_

 _Oh, here we go_

 _They're all waiting for a cure_

 _Oh, here we go_

 _They're all waiting for a cure_


	2. Dark Swan

**[Ch. 1- Dark Swan]**

Emma Swan, no longer, not really, stood across the street from Granny's as she watched her family. She wanted more than anything to be with them right now, to walk inside and act as if everything was normal but normal was gone, her life with her family was gone, stripped when she'd been stupid enough as the savior to make sure that Regina didn't get taken over by the darkness, letting the darkness take her instead.

They were scared of her, Henry was scared of her and Emma couldn't blame them. She had turned one of the dwarves into stone, undone by Regina's own magic but still, and now when someone crossed the town line they weren't given lives outside of the border but instead turned into the very types of trees Regina was fond of.

She had now become her own version of the Crocodile but with less gold.

It had been six weeks since Camelot and only she remembered, well almost. There was still that pestering voice in her head, the voice that she could actually see, yet still a part of her.

And as if by summoning it, the true Dark One, the likeness of Rumpelstiltskin, had appeared.

"Aw what's the matter dearie, feeling the blues? Feeling left out," he mocked.

"Go away," Emma said to him, "This doesn't concern you."

"That's not the way it works dearie, you know that. If it concerns you then it most definitely concerns me." Rumple crossed his arms, "Ah now isn't that such a pretty, pretty scene. You know if it's one thing that holds a person back from realizing their true potential it's their connections to others. You know what you must do, yes? You must weed out that humanity. Once you've done that, only then will you truly know the power of the dark side."

Emma shook her head, "I've been watching too many movies." Emma focused, "I get rid of them and then what?"

"Why, Excalibur of course. You have King Arthur's sword and once you take care of, them," he said motioning to the people inside the diner, "you'll be able to unite the sword with the dagger and you shall become the King of all the realms, or Queen, as it were."

"And what makes you think that's what I want?" asked Emma.

"Because it's what we all seek: that ultimate power, that conquest so that nothing or no one can stand in our way."

Emma knew that Rumple had a point. As much as she wanted to be with her family, that was her old life and think as she would, family and power could not co-exist together, Rumple himself had proven that.

Emma shook her head. Thinking of Rumple's life before and after he became the Dark One were the last things she wanted to think of. Thinking of Rumple made her think of him and that hurt worse than watching as her family lived their lives without her.

Emma took a deep breath and stood straight, putting on a face as cold and black as the clothing she now wore, "So what do I do," she asked.

"What you have to."

Looking one more time at the family that had become distanced, Emma turned and walked away, disappearing in a whirl of black smoke.


	3. No Such Thing as Ghosts

**[Ch. 2- No Such Thing as Ghosts]**

 _[6 Weeks Ago- Camelot]_

Robin would be fine now, Emma thought as she stood on the steps, her hand still on the railing. Behind her the door was closed. Robin was on the table, healed but resting and some of her friends and family were still in the room with him.

She hated the sight of her left hand that was starting to shine. It made her sparkle like those vampires in those Twilight movies whenever their skin touched sunlight. Yes she had seen those movies. She loved vampires and scary movies as a kid but those vampires were anything but scary. They might've worked for some people but she wasn't one of them.

And more importantly she hated the darkness that had become her companion, that in the shape of Rumpelstiltskin the crocodile. She hated that he was right, that there was a part of her that liked the power in healing Robin and earlier that had liked the power in taking Mirada's heart and on the verge of crushing it. She hated herself for even so much as liking any of that.

However, if this was the price she had to pay then so be it. Regina's words had hit home too deeply. She had lost love before and she wasn't ready to do so again. To that Emma could relate.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said as she came out of the room.

Emma quickly turned around and placed her hand behind her back.

"Everything okay?"

Emma smiled, "It's fine, mom. I'm just a little tired."

"I thought you were going to go lie down."

"I was but I changed my mind."

"Emma, are you sure everything's okay?"

"It will be. I think I'm just gonna walk for a little while, give myself a little time to clear my head."

"Okay, I'll come with you," said Mary Margaret.

"That's okay, I really just want to be alone."

Mary Margaret nodded, "Sure. Emma, you know I'm here if you need me."

Emma smiled, "I know." She then went up to her mom and hugged her, "I love you," she said hugging tighter and not wanting to ever let go.

"I love you too," Mary Margaret said.

Emma did release her mother and made her way down the stairs. The party was still going in the main ballroom. She had to bypass it to get to her room and as she did so she thought she had seen a glimpse of someone she knew.

"Neal?" Emma said aloud.

Emma blinked for a second and by then Neal was gone. She shook her head. Of course he hadn't been there. She had only wanted him to be.

Up on the stairs Rumple had told Emma that the kiss hadn't worked with her and Hook because if it had she would not be glimmering. Emma knew what that had meant and it brought pain to her heart. More than anything she had wanted Hook to be the love of her life, or at least present. She did love Hook, at least she told him, at least she'd told herself that she was in love with him. Maybe that had been the problem; trying to convince herself of a love she didn't really have.

Maybe you only got one love of a lifetime in a single existence.

Emma blinked away her tears but they didn't go unnoticed.

"May I help you Princess Emma," a handmaiden asked as she came up to her, "Are you in some form of distress that I may be of assistance?"

Princess. Though Emma knew of her parent's royalty, it was difficult to apply such a term to herself.

"I'm fine," Emma replied, "I was just headed to my room to change but thank you."

The handmaiden nodded and made her leave. Emma tried to shut out her thoughts as she made her way past the party.

* * *

"Ya know," said Rumple, "There are much easier ways to do this sort of thing if ya let me teach you," he said as Emma was walking deep into the woods, "A puff of smoke to get ya to where ya goin', a wave of the hand to change your outfit. All tricks of the trade."

"I'm not interested," Emma said. She was glad she was wearing pants. If it was one thing she hated about her travels it had to be wearing a dress in the woods. "Why are you even following me anyways, I haven't used magic since I left."

"That may be true but you and I are now two peas in a pod. Where you go, I go."

"Great," said Emma, "It was bad enough having to live in my own head now I have to have you living outside of it. Go away."

"I can't do that dearie. You chose to play hero and take on the powers of the Dark One, now this is the price you pay," Rumple said with a laugh.

"Will you just shut up? I came out here to be alone."

Emma looked around and she was glad to see that Rumple was gone, for the moment at least.

She only walked a few steps when she heard some rustling and then a voice.

* * *

"You know," said a strange familiar sounding voice.

The figure came out from behind the tree that was covering him, "It's not healthy to talk to yourself. A person can get locked up for that kind of thing," Neal said with a huge grin.

Emma closed her eyes, "No, you are not here, you are not here."

"Are you sure about that," said Neal, "because I'm pretty sure I am."

Emma opened her eyes, "What is it with you people? First your father and now you. Just leave me alone."

"You've been seeing my father? Damn that sucks. I'm here, Emma, I'm right here."

Emma shook her head, "You can't be. You died. It's just my mind playing tricks on me. I'm seeing what I want to see."

"And you wanted to see me," Neal said smugly, "Emma, I'm flattered. Can I ask why?"

It took Emma a moment to reply. She couldn't help but think of how good Neal looked, wearing a dark brown leather jacket that matched his brown pants and brown leather boots. She had never seen him in period clothing before, at least what would be considered period clothing back in her world.

"I'm not doing this," Emma said as she began to walk away from Neal, further into the woods.

"Doing what," Neal asked as he fell into step with her.

"I'm not having a conversation with…"

Emma stalled. She didn't even know what to call him. They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms the first time when she was eighteen, the second time they were still trying to figure it out when Neal fell threw a portal that Tamara opened to Neverland, and once reunited they were back to figuring it out only to have Neal die on her in order to bring back his father. What did you call a person like that?

"With what," Neal asked as he still waited.

"With my baby daddy," Emma finally answered.

Neal smiled again, "Baby daddy, that's the best you could come up with?"

"Well what am I supposed to call you, Neal: Ghost, Conscience?"

"Give me some credit, I'm not Jiminy Cricket. I'm not even Pinocchio."

Emma let out a little smile, one that didn't go unnoticed by Neal.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said to her.

"For a ghost you're not all knowing." Neal remained silent and waited for Emma. "Fine, I was thinking about Henry and when he first brought me to Storybrooke. He told me that Archie was Jiminy Cricket and I mentioned the whole lying thing and told him that his nose grew a little bit. He then told me he wasn't Pinocchio." Emma shook her head, "That seems like such a long time ago." Emma then let out a small sad smile, "You sounded just like him just now. I miss you."

"I haven't gone anywhere, Emma. I'm right here," Neal said as he stood in front of her, a few feet only separating them.

"No, I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to give into my delusions. I lost my chance with you when you died. That was over four months ago. This isn't real, as much as I want it to be."

"It is real Emma."

"No, it's not. You died, so now what you're some ghost trying to haunt me? Well it's not going to work. There's no such thing as ghosts."

"Back before you broke the curse you didn't believe in fairytales either. But Emma listen to me, I am real. I'm right here, I swear it's me. Use your power, see if I'm lying."

"You said you didn't believe in it."

"Yeah well you were right, I did. I still do. Use it on me, Emma. I'm as real as your family back at Camelot."

"No you're not," Emma said as she could feel the emotions inside getting stronger and the tears threatening her eyes, "You died in my arms, we buried you."

"That's the funny thing about death; sometimes you can never be too sure. You thought I'd died after falling through the portal, remember? Same thing"

"It isn't the same," Emma challenged, "It is not the same," she said as she turned around and started to walk away. "There was no portal that time, Neal. I have to get back, the others are probably worried. Just leave me alone."


	4. Baelfire's Return

**[Ch. 3- Baelfire's Return]**

 _[Present- Storybrooke]_

Neal tried to sit up but was momentarily blocked by a hand on his shoulder.

"Woah, easy there."

Neal looked up, slightly confused, "Robin?"

Robin nodded, "Good to see you again Baelfire."

Neal sat up and took in his surroundings. He was surprised to see him upstairs in the loft that had been Emma's bedroom that she shared with her parents.

"What happened," he asked, "How did I get here?"

"My men found you out in the woods, they brought you to me but before we could wake you I picked up a truth serum from Regina and gave it to you."

"While I was asleep, nice. Guess that's why my brain feels like a hundred ton brick."

"Sorry, but with the Dark One lurking out there, can't be too cautious."

"No I suppose not. So did pass?"

"With flying colors, my old friend," said Robin, "So what happened to you, Baelfire? Last we knew you were dead."

Neal nodded, "Emma said the same thing to me. I'll tell you about it later," he said as he stood up. "Right now I need to find my son and the others."

"I know exactly where they are," Robin said to him, "Come with me."

* * *

"Thanks," Mary Margaret said to Regina as the woman handed her a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon as they made their way from Regina's kitchen to her living room.

"Sure," Regina replied, "I know you're not fond of apple cider," she said with a small smile.

Mary Margaret smiled back. "So did you ever imagine it playing out like this?"

"What, me inviting my son's grandparents and his infant uncle to come live with us, hardly but it's the safest place for all of us right now," Regina said. "This place has more than enough spare bedrooms and is enchanted so the Dark One couldn't get in no matter how hard she tried."

"Well thank you, not just for letting us stay but also for not using Emma's name when you called her the Dark One just now."

"You're welcome. And for what it's worth, I'm still giving Emma the benefit of the doubt. We all know how much evil I've done to last a life time and Emma always tried to believe in me, so…" Regina cut herself off there not wanting to get too deep.

She saw in the living room that only David was there sitting on the couch with the baby in his arms.

"Where's Henry?" Regina asked.

"Relax, he went upstairs to his room," David replied.

"He should be downstairs with us," said Regina, "I'm worried he'll start to get too depressed." Mary Margaret raised an eyebrow at Regina, "What, I spent most of my time when he was ten trying to convince him and even myself that he was crazy, I don't want to fail him as a mom and miss out on those signs. I just wish there was some way we knew how to get Emma back so it could help Henry."

"Well," Robin said coming into the house and into the living room, "You might want to get the boy down here and I think I might have a way on that last part."

Neal rounded the corner, "Evening everybody."

"You have got to be kidding me," said Regina.

"Neal," Mary Margaret said in surprise.

David stood up with his son still in his arms, "I don't believe it, you're back."


	5. Supposed to be Dead

**[Ch. 4-Supposed to be Dead]**

"That's what you needed the potion for," Regina said to Robin, "To use it on him to make sure he wasn't the Dark One." Before Robin could answer Regina turned her attention to Neal, "I thought you were supposed to be dead."

"That seems to be the general consensus around here," said Neal, "Good thing I'm not."

"Dad," Henry said as he came downstairs upon hearing the voices in the living room.

Neal smiled, "Henry!"

"Henry," said Mary Margaret, "Did you bring Neal back?"

"No, I destroyed the pen. The Sorcerer's Apprentice told me I couldn't bring back the dead."

Mary Margaret turned to Neal, "Then how?"

"How else," said Neal, "My father."

"So then you didn't really die?" Henry said with newfound enthusiasm.

"Trust me buddy, it's going to take a lot to kill me."

"Obviously," said Regina, "since it's been more than once that we thought you were dead."

Henry smiled and ran up to his dad, hugging him tightly. Neal hugged him back. "God I missed you."

"I missed you too," Henry replied. "So how did grandpa save you?"

"I wouldn't call it so much as saving as it was more of a price."

Neal walked over to the couch and took a seat and the others relaxed some as well, Henry taking a seat next to his father.

"When I saved my father's life it came with a price. The Dark One kept me locked up and in exchange he let Gold go and turned himself to look like me. The only thing that could release me from that prison was if a hero embraced their darkness." Neal looked at Emma's parents who were sitting across from him. "I'm guessing that Emma embraced hers."

"Worse," said Regina.

Mary Margaret nodded, "She let herself get enveloped by the darkness."

"So she became the Dark One. I know."

"How do you know?" asked David.

"Once Emma took on the dark persona the prison opened up a portal to the nearest location where the Dark One would be. I found myself in Camelot and released from the Dark One's control. I didn't even know it was Emma yet until I saw her nearly kill someone. I was about to approach her but then you all showed up and talked her out of it. So instead I decided to keep my distance for a while and instead keep my eye on her."

"Wait a second," said Robin, "So you still have all of your memories from those six weeks that we lost? How is that even possible?"

"How is any of this possible?" asked Regina.

Neal easily answered, "Emma's curse didn't work on me. The first time I confronted her, she thought I was dead, a ghost. I tried to convince her that I was alive a few times after but she still wouldn't believe it. As a result, since she thought I was a figment of her imagination when she cast the curse I wasn't a part of it the way you all were."

"So," said Regina, "You were not only alive this whole time but you escaped the curse, that's convenient."

"Actually," said David, "this could work for us. Neal, you have all of your memories so is there anything from Camelot that you learned that could help us save Emma?"

"She told us we failed," said Mary Margaret, "but we don't exactly know how and now she can't even stand to look at us."

Neal nodded, "Finding Merlyn turned out to be a trap. Morgan La Fay orchestrated the whole thing."

"So our quest to Camelot was for nothing," said Mary Margaret.

"Not quite," Neal replied. You all did defeat Morgan and in the process discovered another way to save Emma."

"Which was what exactly," asked Robin.

This time Neal took a deep breath, "The very thing that can defeat the Dark One. Light magic and more importantly true love."

"Then all we need," said Henry, "is to get Killian, let him confess his love to mom and kiss her."

"It's not as simple as that, buddy," said Neal.

"Why not?"

Neal took a deep breath, "It has to be true love. Back in Camelot, Emma tried to kiss Killian during those times when she felt out of control or if she used dark magic but it never worked."

Mary Margaret smiled, being the first to figure it out, "Because Hook isn't Emma's true love is he?"

"Well that's refreshing," said Regina.

"He isn't?" asked David as he looked at his wife. She motioned to Neal. "Oh," said David. He then looked at Neal and emphasized the word, "Oh."

A silence remained in the room for what seemed like endless minutes that refused to pass.

* * *

"Henry," Regina said breaking the tension in the room, "Why don't take your uncle upstairs to your grandparent's room? It's set up and there's even a basinet. And then get ready and go to bed yourself."

Mary Margaret looked at Regina, "You've been busy."

"It was no big deal," said Regina, "and besides the basinet was Henry's. With a little bit of my magic it became good as new."

Both Henry and Neal stood up.

"So," said Henry, "about the whole true love thing. It's you isn't it? You're the one my mom's heart belongs to."

Neal smiled but deflected his comment, "Go to bed."

"Fine," said Henry, "but you know I'm going to want to hear the story later. And you are staying right? I don't mean just here in Storybrooke, I mean here with us."

Neal looked over at Regina, "Guess that's up to your mom."

Regina looked at everyone and more so at Henry. It was a tall order, Henry asking his father to stick around and more importantly live with them but considering what lurked out beyond the magical protected barrier of the home, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Does Emma know you're here," Regina asked Neal.

"No she doesn't. And if it's all right with everyone I'd like to keep a low profile. The fewer who know I'm back the better. Emma still thinks I'm one of her delusions. Considering the curse she cast, it's better if it remains that way until I know when the timing is right."

"How will know?" asked Robin.

Neal smiled, "I'll just know."

"I guess you're staying with us then," said Regina.

"Thanks," said Neal.

Henry smiled and then went up to his Grams and reached out for his uncle.

"Got him," Mary Margaret asked as she gently placed her son in her grandson's arms.

"Yeah," Henry replied as he gently cradled baby Neal. He then looked at his dad, "He's named after you, you know."

Neal smiled, "I know, buddy."

"Night everybody," Henry said as he left the living room.

"Well as it's getting late," said Robin, "I should probably make my leave as well. Don't want to leave Roland with his uncles of merry men too long."

Regina smiled, "I'll walk you out."

As Regina and Robin passed Neal, Neal stuck his hand out to his friend.

"Thank you, Robin," Neal said to him.

Robin in turn shook it, "Think nothing of it. We're brothers now, Baelfire."

Neal smiled and nodded and then took his seat again while Regina and Robin went outside. The three of them in the living room were content in the silence.


	6. Our Story

**[Ch.5- Our Story]**

A short time later Regina returned to the living room. "Can I get anyone a drink," she offered, "Hot cocoa, cider, the non-apple kind of course?"

"Got anything stronger?" Neal asked. "What," he said when he noticed Regina's pause.

"Nothing," Regina said, "It's just Emma said those exact words the first time I invited her into my house the night she met Henry and brought him home."

"Sounds like her," said Neal.

"Scotch on the rocks okay?"

Neal smiled, now that drink really sounded like her, "Perfect."

It didn't take Regina long to return with Neal's drink. He took it and made his way over to the lit fire place, his left hand swirling the drink and his right arm leaning against the mantle. The flames were an easy distraction. He thought of the short time when they were together back when they'd first met.

It was one of the happiest times in his life and one he often wished he could go back to before things got messy or even with the mess, he often wished he could have ignored August to a certain extend so that maybe finding Tallahassee could mean being with Emma as he guided her to help reunite her parents, that they could have done it as a family.

There were too many scenarios that could have played out if only their story had been written differently.

The upside now was that the original writers had no more control so they couldn't be the ones to screw things up this time around. And with Henry as the new author and having destroyed the pen, free will finally seemed like an actual possibility.

"We'll get Emma back you know," said David breaking Neal from his thoughts, "We haven't given up on her."

"I haven't either," said Neal, "I never will."

"Okay," said Mary Margaret, "I've been meaning to ask this. Emma knows our whole story and we know a few things about her but we don't know how the two of you met."

Neal looked at Emma's mother, "She hasn't told you that one?"

"Not really," said Mary Margaret.

"She plays it pretty close to the vest," David added.

"Yeah, that's kind of my fault. After the pain I caused her I think she shut herself off." Neal shook his head, "You sure you want to hear this?"

Emma's parents nodded and Regina sat forward on the chair she now occupied.

"By all means, tell us," said Regina, "How exactly did the savior meet the son of the prior Dark One? Were you stalking her or something?"

Neal looked in his as of yet untouched glass, "No it wasn't like that. When we met I didn't even know who Emma was." He took a swig, grateful for the burn that made its way down his throat, "She was just a girl who stole my car."

"Wait, what?" asked David.

Regina's eyes widened, "That bull's eye on wheels is yours!"

"You knew?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Just that Emma had stolen that yellow monstrosity," said Regina, "not who or where she'd stolen it from."

"And she stole it from you?" asked Mary Margaret.

Neal nodded. "Emma was eighteen when we met. We'd both been living in Portland at the time. She broke into the car pretty easily, even used a rock and a screw driver to start it up. I was impressed. I'd been asleep in the backseat but I woke up after Emma started driving. I just watched her for a bit before I scared the crap out of her. We talked a bit, I asked her out but before she could give me an answer we got stopped by a cop."

"So that's how she went to jail," said Mary Margaret.

Neal took a deep breath. He absolutely hated that part. Of all the things he could have done differently, take her place in jail or ignored August completely and fenced the watches like he had planned. Instead he had done the very thing that was in his blood- he took the coward's way out like his father had done on more than one occasion.

Neal would spend the rest of his life trying to make up to Emma for that.

He took a drink and swirled the ice, "No," Neal said, finally speaking, "That actually came later on. The cop that stopped us let us go with a warning. Emma and I were pretty much inseparable after that. Sneaking into hotel rooms, stealing just trying to get by. Eventually parts of my past caught up with me. Both in terms of something I did in Phoenix as well as someone knowing the truth about me from my time in the Enchanted Forest, back when I was Baelfire. I tried to convince myself that I left Emma to help get her home."

Neal turned to look at the fire, not being able to face Emma's parents any longer.

"But that was just part of it. I spent my whole life trying to get away from my father that in the end I actually became him. I became what he was before he became the Dark One: a coward. I left Emma because knowing her meant that my father was here and I wanted no part of him or any of that. I could have come back to her after she broke the curse but I'd hated myself too much for what I'd put her through that I knew she would hate me too."

Neal took a final swig and finished the last of his scotch. "I didn't know Emma was pregnant at the time she went to jail. If I had maybe things would have ended up differently. And even had I not known, I still wish I could have done things differently. When she found me in New York it's like we'd been given a second chance. I've been trying to do better ever since but every time I try, we've been separated and just when things look as if they might work out we get pulled a part." Neal looked up at Emma's parents and Henry's adoptive mom, "So now you know everything."

David smiled at Neal, "Hey we get it. The same thing has happened to us on more than one occasion."

"Really," said Neal, "So how did you get through it without one of you wanting to kill the other?"

David let out a laugh knowing exactly who Neal meant. He had come to know his own daughter well.

Regina stood, "We're getting into parental territory here I think," she said to the group, "So that's my cue. Neal I'll set up an extra room unless you'd rather sleep in Henry's room, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind."

Neal smiled at the thought of sleeping near his son. In the time since meeting Henry, he really hadn't had the chance to truly bond with him or sleep near him the way most parents did.

"Thanks," Neal said to her, "I just might do that."

Regina nodded with a smile. It was so strange to her to have Neal become a part of her life. She hadn't really expected it, especially since the first time she met Emma she had told her that Henry's father wasn't in the picture. That seemed like such a long time ago.

And now not only was Regina allowing Henry's grandparents and uncle to live with them, she was also allowing Henry's father. Life sure had an interesting way of surprising you sometimes both in terms if you didn't want it and if you did.

Regina still wasn't sure what to make of Neal. Like herself, he seemed to be given a string of bad luck. He had confirmed what Emma had said to her back when they first met, about Neal not knowing that Emma had gotten pregnant with Henry. She had been wrong to judge him about not wanting to be there for the first ten years of his life. And maybe like he had said, had things worked out differently, then Emma never would have given him up.

That was all water under the bridge though. They had to focus on the now and right now Emma was the Dark One and if they had failed in Camelot then they needed Neal. If he was right about true love being the answer then guy-liner was in for a very rude awakening.

Regina nodded, "Very well then. If you all need anything feel free to help yourselves. As far as I'm concerned this house is as much yours now. Goodnight."

Night the trio said and Mary Margaret added a "goodnight."

* * *

"You mean Emma," said David, continuing where they left off.

Neal walked over and took a seat where Regina had been just moments ago. "Yeah," he answered.

"Well the women in our family can be very stubborn," David said with a smile, "but that's also what makes them strong and resilient, able to handle anything. It might take a few talks but Emma will come around."

"And if it's one thing we know for certain," said Mary Margaret, "It's that nothing can stand in the way of true love. From what you've told us and from what we've seen from Emma, you've survived two separations and two near death experiences and yet here you are still finding your way back to each other. Emma loves you, Neal. We know that for a fact. If true love is the key to all of this, she won't be able to let that go, no matter how much the darkness consumes her."

"I hope you're right," said Neal. "I just don't want Henry to grow up the way I did."

"We'll make sure it won't," David said to him, "Emma's not your father."

Neal nodded. Their words would have to be enough. Tomorrow he would have to be discreet about his plans so that no one would find out he was still alive. This game would have to be on his terms and after everything he'd done in Camelot and then getting back to Storybrooke, he was ready for it.

And he knew the first place he would begin.


	7. The Pirate and the Boy

**[Ch. 6 The Pirate and the Boy]**

It was another foggy morning in Storybrooke. Sunshine rarely seemed like a possibility. And even when the sun occasionally showed itself, it often felt out of place. That was Maine for you. It was the eastern equivalent of the Pacific Northwest where it was mainly constant cloud cover.

Emma shook her head to rid herself of thinking of that particular part of the country. Thinking of it only brought pain from the memories she still kept which were often a mixture of great joy and sadness. She wasn't here for that. She had other things in mind and one of those was staring her in the face as she looked at the Jolly Roger.

"What do you want, Swan," Killian said as he found Emma on the dock near his ship.

Emma turned and gave him a smile, "I liked it when you called me 'Emma'," she said to him.

"And I like it before you became a martyr."

"I was being a savior, it's in the job description. Better me than Regina. Can you imagine what she would have been like?"

"We could have found a way to help her."

"And what if we couldn't? You've seen how hard it's been to save Gold from this and he's been the Dark One for centuries. I wasn't going to let Regina become that."

"So you sacrificed yourself, your family, your son. Did you even think about Henry?"

Emma took a deep breath, her eyes deepening, "Of course I did. He's all I think about. Trust me, things are better now. I can do things that I couldn't before. There's nothing holding me back anymore. I'm not afraid."

Killian stepped toward Emma, closing the gap between them. "Guess when you're the ultimate darkness you can't be."

Emma pulled back from Killian. She could see in his eyes what he wanted and if it was one thing she'd come to know in the past several weeks, it's that what he wanted wasn't possible. Of course he didn't know that. So what was the harm?

Besides, even though their love was pointless she still wanted the relationship and what they had.

Emma reached up to him and Killian, wanting more than anything to feel her lips on his, leaned down and kissed her, intensely. When he pulled back nothing had changed. Emma was still in her black crocodile leather, her hair still white and in a tight bun.

"It didn't bloody work," he said to her, "Why didn't it work?"

"It didn't work because there's nothing to fix."

"What the hell happened in Camelot?" he asked.

Emma stiffened, "Enough to make me realize that true love's kiss only works with true love."

"What are you saying, Swan?"

"You've been around for several hundred years, you figure it out."

Before Killian could get in another word, Emma waved her hands about her and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Sucks when it's someone you love, isn't it?"

* * *

Killian turned to his ship and saw what he thought was a ghost walking down the steps of his ship toward him.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Killian, "how in the bloody hell are you still alive?"

Neal waved him off, "It's all very complicated and technical so let's not get into all that."

"Henry," said Killian, "The boy said he destroyed the pen but I should have figured he would use it to bring back his father."

"Henry had nothing to do with it. Like I said, it's complicated," Neal defended, not liking that Killian would go to blaming his son. Instead of get into the story with Killian as to how he returned, he changed the subject. "I'm guessing things with Emma didn't go like you planned."

Killian shook his head, "I don't get it: true love's kiss is supposed to work isn't it?" Killian looked at Neal, realizing what he'd just said, "Sorry about that mate."

"Don't be. She had to move on eventually right?"

"I'm guessing you'll want me to back off then, aye?"

"That's up to you but I am curious, if your kiss didn't work on Emma when true love is supposed to fix everything then why didn't it?"

Killian's eyes widened, "That's why you're here isn't it, Baelfire," he said using Neal's true name, "You're the one she's waiting for; the one she knows can break the curse."

"Maybe," said Neal, "Emma thinks I'm dead. She won't listen to me. She thinks I'm some kind of apparition."

"So why are you talking to me then? Shouldn't you be trying to win her back or something?"

"We were family once right, Killian? My mother may have stepped out on my father for you but you helped raise me for a bit. You helped get my boy back from grandpa Pan, helped get that message to Emma."

"What are you getting at Baelfire? If you think I owe you another favor, you can forget it."

"No, you don't owe me anything. Look, I know how you feel about Emma so I'm betting to guess that you'd be willing to just about anything to get her back am I right?"

Killian sighed, "Just about. What are you asking?"

"I need your help. I need you to talk to her."

"Well in case you weren't listening just now, that was what I believe this world would call an epic fail."

"Talk to her again. Convince her that I'm alive. You once told me that you would give Henry's parents a fair shot, did you mean it?"

Again Killian sighed, "Aye."

"Well we never got it. I love her Killian, I have since the moment I met her."

"Swan certainly has that effect on people doesn't she? Listen Neal, I'll help you but only because it's what will help Emma unless there's another way."

"There is no other way," said Neal.

"So you say. Now listen to me, I'll help and I'll do it your way. You may love Emma as you say you do but I'm the one who has been around when you've been off God only knows where. Like I also told you before, I'm in this for the long haul. I love her too so I'm not giving up."

"And if Emma decides who she wants?"

"Then I guess that will be up to her, and one of us will have to back off."

"I'm not sure I can do that Killian."

"Neither can I," the pirate replied.

"Okay then," Neal said, knowing they wouldn't solve anything.

"Okay. So when do we get started?"


End file.
